Philips Norelco Beard Trimmer and Hair Clipper Series 5500, electric, cordless, one pass beard trimmer and hair clipper with washable feature for easy clean - No blade oil needed - BT5511/49

Pretty durable and very waterproof. Decent battery life. Has a lot of guard options and mine lasted over 3 years now and still works but a little plastic piece that secures the main beard guard did finally break on one side. Might finally have to replace soon but liked this trimmer enough to probably go for another Phillips brand in a similar price range. Build quality is good and never had issues with blades rusting or becoming too dull after a lot of use. Pretty easy to just clean by rinsing blades and guards with hot water. Overall quality beard trimmer for a pretty reasonable price.

This review is for the Philips Norelco Beard and Hair Trimmer Series 5500. I had a previous version of this beard trimmer (the old BT5275) and it lasted me over 5 years. I was looking for a replacement beard and mustache trimmer that was height adjustable, without having to change the plastic cutting guides. I saw this one on Amazon. It looked similar to my old one, so I bought it. As one would reasonably expect, the newer series 5500 has some improvements over the one I am replacing. Here's what I love about this BT5500: 1) you can adjust the cutting length, longer or shorten, by simply spinning the dial. 2) the attachments/guides for the BT5500 are SUPERIOR to the older version, allowing more even cutting of my stubborn beard hairs that seemed to curl under the attachment on the older version. 3) the dial on the BT550 has sturdy settings. this decreases the likelihood that applying too much pressure while trimming will result in the height slipping and cutting too short. as an aside, that never happened on the older one, but I was always aware of how hard I was pushing the trimmer into my beard. 4) - should be up higher - you CAN USE IT WHILE IT'S PLUGGED IN! that's huge!!! 5) the cord is long enough to actually allow cutting while plugged in. it's a shade over 72" (182 cm). You're not tethered to the wall with this thing 6) no bulky stand-up type charging base. i much prefer the cord. I am very happy with my purchase.

It's just good. I bought this with the intention of replacing my face trimmers and hair clippers. I keep a short shadow on my face and a short fade for my hair. The idea of being able to do all that with only three guards was very enticing. I started with my face and was surprised at the increased number of passes I needed. I think though I'm just not used to using a guard and need practice maintaining the correct angle for a constant cutting length. My hair was a little disappointing. I was again surprised at how many passes I needed. And even after so many passes I was still left with inconsistent lengths. It took me my over twice as long (which still really isn't a terribly long time), but I was eventually 90% satisfied. I took a shower and noticed more inconsistent spots, but was able to clean them up easier I found after my hair was wet. Again, I think I just need practice holding the smaller blade and guard and a consistent angle and making more overlapping passes. The clippers work well, but I'm not "impressed". I'm satisfied enough to keep them because of not needing 2 clippers and half a dozen guards. I really like the dial system... It works well. I really only need two guards for my hair length which is also a plus (I typically do a 2.0 on the top and 1.0 on the sides). One review mentioned there are no numbers indicating the length setting, but this is not the case. The numbers are backlit and illuminate when the dial is adjusted.

I've tried a few trimmers in the $60 price range and they were O K. I've been using this one for over a month now and it works consistently providing an even trim. The device feels solid and well made, especially when adjusting the depth. I honestly don't think I've charged it more than once since I've had it, so it has a good battery life. I'm hopeful this device will perform just as well a year from now. Its also very easy to change out the blades and trimmer guides.

I have owned many norelcos in the past 10 years. This is by far the best one. Has a soft glide without being hard on the skin. Cuts sharp and precise. The motor could have been double powerful yet it gives a neat and consistent trim. Compared to Braun and older norelco models, this thing stands out.

A good beard trimmer with adjustable cutting lengths

Just bought this trimmer to replace an old one. It does a great job, and has numerous beard settings. Unlike others I've had though, the shaver doesn't catch the cut hairs, and they fly all over the place, or end up on the handle. My previous one used a vacuum to catch the cut hairs. Not as hygienic as it could have been.

I just have a mustache, no beard, and I shave my head (so can't testify to the hair trimming ability). The close-up trim attachment works in tandem with an adjustable blade length feature on the trimmer handle. It lights up to let you know the length, too! Charges quickly, and the charge lasts quite a long time.